Going against the current, a boat takes 6 hours to make a 120 -mile trip. When the boat travels with the current on the return trip. It takes 5 hours. If \( x= \) the rate of the boat in still water and \( y= \) the rate of the current, which of the following expressions represents the rate of the boat going with the current? \( x-y \) \( x+y \) \( x y \)

When the boat is going against the current, its effective speed is reduced by the speed of the current, represented as \( x - y \). However, on the return trip with the current, the boat’s effective speed is increased by the speed of the current. Therefore, the expression that represents the rate of the boat going with the current is \( x + y \). To understand how this works in a real-world scenario, think of a river. If your friend rows a boat upstream (against the current), they will be slower compared to how fast they rowed against still water. But when they turn around and row downstream (with the current), they can paddle faster because the current is helping them. It's a classic example of how currents can affect travel speeds!